Posheeda (پوشیدَہ) -
Concealed; Hidden
*****
Marwan Qureshi, a commando in the Indian army had two goals set in life. One, not to let his father's poisonous words get to him and two, spend the rest of his life serving his...
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*****
Morning had come faster than Ziah would like. She had barely gotten any sleep with all the emotional ache and the throbbing in her temple. Her mood was already off and what could ruin her mind more was a question forgotten because as soon as she came down to begin her day, her eyes fell on the hunched figures of Marwan and Laiha, sitting close to each other, sharing a few laughs here and there.
Aur kal tak toh kise ko apni fiance yaad bhi nahi thi.
Biting her lips to not let a word that her mind had processed out of her lips, she silently took a seat at the dining table that was already swarmed with Aliya, Kabir, Major Mathur and of course, the love birds.
"Ziah, beta are you alright?"
Snapping herself out of her burning thoughts, she looked ahead to find Madiha giving her a concerned look. Ziah knew she looked exhausted beyond words and the proof for that were her slumped yet tense shoulders, the dark circles under her eyes that now seemed too prominent and the gloomy aura that surrounded her form without her permission.
"I am alright, aunty. Bas raat ko sahi se neend nahi aayi."
Madiha frowned upon hearing her words. Keeping the casserole at the table, she rounded around the chairs and stood in front of Ziah. Before the latter could comprehend, Madiha raised her hand to check her temperature.
"Allah, tumhe toh itna tez bukhar hai. Why don't you take care of yourself?"
The old woman's stern tone made her gulp. Ziah looked down at her empty plate with a frown. She didn't know how or what was happening in her life at this point.
Everything just felt too jumbled and too overwhelming.
A soft touch on the top of her head made her blink her eyes a few times and she mentally chanted words of encouragement to not let the frustration out of her body flow in the form of tears.
"Ziah, beta koi baat hai jo tumhe pareshan kar rahi hai? You don't have to open up, lekin don't keep it all bottled in your mind and heart. It's affecting your health."
This time the words were said by Major Mathur. Maybe the first time that he directly addressed her.
"Main theek hu. It's just the lack of sleep."
She murmured, trying to assure the people who gazed at her with a concerned look. Ziah tried not to act bothered but the gaze of a certain someone had her shifting in her place.
She didn't look up even once, trying to ignore the sensation and him with all her might. It was wrong on so many levels especially after their talk from yesterday, and she didn't want her heart to weep more than it already did.
The commotion around came to a halt. The breakfast was served and the place was blanketed in silence though it did not last long.
"I've contacted the jail administration. We have the permit to meet him but only for a limited time."
